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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. file — a line of people
  4. row — a line
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a tool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a friend
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. file — a document
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mate — a partner
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stand — to bear
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — a container
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stand — on your feet

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