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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. snap — to click
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. content — happy
  6. mate — a partner
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. content — the amount
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mate — to breed
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mate — a friend
  20. plane — a tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com