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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. root — of a word
  6. perch — the fish
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. root — of a plant
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — the cause
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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