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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hand — help
  3. present — a gift
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. present — the time now
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spell — a short time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. club — for golf
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — a series
  21. spell — magic
  22. club — a group
  23. present — there
  24. hand — in cards

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