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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. march — the month
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rock — a stone
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — a list
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — to tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. rock — music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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