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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. root — of a word
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pass — a permit
  24. calf — a young animal

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