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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: sharp · fall · trunk · march · kick · present · snap · bay

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — the time now
  5. snap — to click
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. march — music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — the season
  15. kick — in football
  16. march — the month
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. march — the month
  21. present — there
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fall — to drop

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