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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mate — to breed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. root — of a word
  14. tube — the underground
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. craft — a skill
  19. toast — bread
  20. mate — a partner
  21. craft — boats
  22. mate — a friend
  23. calf — of the leg
  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