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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. hand — help
  5. chest — a box
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. lean — thin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. hand — in cards
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to bend
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. dip — to sink
  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