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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stock — shares
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rock — a stone

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