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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · wound · calf · saw · trunk · pit · march · last

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. suit — to fit
  5. march — the month
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pit — in a race
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pit — a hole
  14. last — finally
  15. march — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. march — the month
  21. last — to go on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. last — final
  24. saw — the tool

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