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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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 tree
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. track — a path
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. content — happy
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. content — the amount
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. clip — to cut
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lie — to recline
  19. track — a song
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. clip — a video
  22. bass — low music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. deal — to handle

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