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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. pit — a hole
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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