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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mouse — for a computer

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