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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. present — there
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. present — the time now
  7. vault — a safe
  8. court — for sport
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cap — a lid
  13. court — of a king
  14. present — a gift
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wound — an injury
  22. court — of law
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wound — an injury

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