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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mug — a cup
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mate — to breed
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. race — humankind
  11. net — in sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. toast — bread
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mark — a grade

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