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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. vault — a safe
  13. fine — high quality
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. swing — music
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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