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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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. root — the cause
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. cold — an illness
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to click
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cold — not warm
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. leaves — lets stay

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