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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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 a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hand — help
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. toast — bread
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. band — a music group
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pit — a hole
  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