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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pit — a hole

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