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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rock — a stone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tube — a container
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. trunk — of a tree

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