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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cue — for pool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. hand — help
  11. content — the amount
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. hand — in cards
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cue — a hint
  16. content — happy
  17. cue — a signal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. prune — to trim

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