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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. root — of a word
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kick — in football
  16. scale — in music
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pitcher — a jug

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