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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. object — an aim
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — lets stay

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