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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lie — to recline
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — to sink
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. scale — size or range
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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