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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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 car
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. race — humankind
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. race — a contest
  9. charge — electricity
  10. race — the arms race
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fall — the season
  14. charge — a price
  15. fall — to drop
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — in control
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bark — of a tree

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