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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. march — music
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — the month
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. key — in music
  16. chair — a leader
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cell — a phone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cell — in biology

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