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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. root — of a word
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. root — the cause
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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