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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — wild animals
  5. can — a tin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. game — a match
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. can — to be able to
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — a tin

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