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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. drill — army training
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cold — not warm
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pitch — completely
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fall — the season
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. suit — to fit
  21. drill — the tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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