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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. snap — to click
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ground — crushed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ground — a position
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ground — the earth
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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