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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. can — to be able to
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — rain
  10. tube — the underground
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. squash — to crush
  14. kick — in football
  15. vault — a safe
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. shower — to wash
  21. can — a tin
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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