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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 124 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spring — the season
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. clip — a video
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. present — there
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bass — low music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. clip — for paper
  18. present — the time now
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. present — a gift
  23. clip — to cut
  24. safe — out of danger

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