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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. stem — to come from
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pound — a weight
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — in music

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