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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mine — for digging
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — a trace
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mark — a grade
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to click
  13. bear — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. track — a path

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