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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stock — goods
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. object — a thing
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. object — an aim
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. object — to protest
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. snap — to click
  21. bass — the fish
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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