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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rule — a law
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rule — government
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. game — a match

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