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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — a trace
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — after costs
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. net — in sport
  15. wax — to grow
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. net — for catching
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wind — moving air

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