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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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 an elephant
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cap — a hat
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cap — a lid
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bat — the animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bore — to drill
  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