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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. drill — army training
  4. season — of the year
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rule — a law
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — in sport
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rule — government
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bear — to put up with

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