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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to click
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. roll — a cake
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — a list
  24. racket — a loud noise

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