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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. content — the amount
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. key — in music
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. content — happy
  13. key — the most important part
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lean — thin
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bowl — a football final

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