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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rash — hasty
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. spring — the season
  8. bank — for money
  9. rash — a series
  10. spring — a coil
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — the fish
  16. spring — of water
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — on the skin

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