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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. net — in sport
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cap — a hat
  8. net — after costs
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chest — a box
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. net — for catching
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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