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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. firm — a company
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — government
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rule — a law
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. firm — steady
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. firm — decided
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chest — of your body
  22. shower — rain
  23. chest — of your body
  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