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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mark — a trace
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. root — of a word
  15. season — of the year
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. season — in sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — a song
  24. trunk — of a tree

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