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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cell — in biology
  5. ground — a position
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chest — a box
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. object — to protest
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — for sculpting

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