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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ball — a great time
  3. chair — a leader
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — a container
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chest — a box
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cell — a phone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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