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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. wound — an injury
  9. object — to protest
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. date — the fruit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fall — to drop
  15. row — a line
  16. object — an aim
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — the cause
  20. wound — an injury
  21. object — a thing
  22. fall — the season
  23. root — of a plant
  24. row — a quarrel

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