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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stem — to come from
  3. squash — to crush
  4. track — a path
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rest — what's left
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rest — a break
  10. object — a thing
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. squash — the sport
  22. object — an aim
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stem — a stem cell

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