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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rule — government
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — a container
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. tube — the underground
  24. trunk — of a car

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