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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chest — a box
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fine — all right
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. date — on the calendar

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