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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. clip — a video
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rock — a stone
  9. face — part of the head
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. face — to confront
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. clip — to cut
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. clip — for paper
  19. dip — to sink
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — music

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