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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. vault — a safe
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — to bear
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. date — the fruit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — a series
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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