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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. shower — rain
  3. object — to protest
  4. race — humankind
  5. object — an aim
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. object — a thing
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a committee
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. race — a contest
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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