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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. cap — a lid
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. face — part of the head
  10. track — a song
  11. net — after costs
  12. track — a path
  13. net — for catching
  14. bore — to drill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bore — to tire
  17. face — to confront
  18. stock — shares
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. face — to point toward
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stock — a soup base
  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