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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 120 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. firm — steady
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pop — music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. firm — decided
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. clip — a video
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pop — to visit
  18. clip — to cut
  19. chair — a leader
  20. foot — a measure
  21. firm — a company
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. clip — for paper

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