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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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