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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. tube — a container
  3. cell — in biology
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bore — to tire
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rest — a break
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cell — in a prison

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