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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: clip · kick · hand · bay · pitcher · suit · bear · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. clip — for paper
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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