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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fall — the season
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. hand — help
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. scale — in music
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fall — to drop
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. hand — part of the body

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