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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kid — to tease
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — child
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. date — the fruit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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