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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. land — to come down
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. craft — a skill
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. root — of a word
  13. key — for a lock
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. key — in music
  18. rest — a break
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. craft — boats
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — the most important part
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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