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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kid — to tease
  3. swing — to play on
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — to push
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lie — to recline
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. kid — child
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. swing — music
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. press — a publisher
  20. swing — in golf
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. key — the most important part
  23. press — newspapers
  24. key — in music

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