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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — shares
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. shower — to wash
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stem — to come from
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stock — goods
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. shower — rain
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. trunk — of a car

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