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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — in music
  3. band — a music group
  4. cap — a hat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. can — a tin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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