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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 112 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rash — a series
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. band — a ring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a music group
  21. bass — low music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bass — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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