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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rock — a stone
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. file — a document
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. present — there
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. file — a line of people
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rock — music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. present — a gift
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. present — the time now
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a tool

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