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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spell — letters
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. key — the most important part
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. kid — child
  15. key — for a lock
  16. spell — magic
  17. kid — to tease
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — in music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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