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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — clothes
  8. net — for catching
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bark — to shout
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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