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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · wind · pass · present · court · bay · trunk · bass

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. court — of law
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. court — for sport
  13. present — there
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. court — of a king
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bass — low music
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. pass — to succeed

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