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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mark — a grade
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. shower — rain
  24. staff — employees

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