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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. roll — a list
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — a lid
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stock — shares

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