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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fall — to drop
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bore — to tire
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. march — the month
  24. fall — to drop

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