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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. object — an aim
  3. drill — the tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. object — a thing
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. club — for golf
  8. object — to protest
  9. degree — temperature
  10. club — for dancing
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tube — a container
  13. march — the month
  14. club — a group
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. march — the month
  18. drill — army training
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tube — the underground
  21. drill — a practice
  22. march — music
  23. degree — an amount
  24. calf — a young animal

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