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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. land — to come down
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. land — ground
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cold — not warm
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. land — a country
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. date — the fruit

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