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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lie — to recline
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. net — after costs
  7. kick — in football
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — for catching
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pass — a permit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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