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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. root — the cause
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. charge — a price
  8. root — of a plant
  9. swing — in golf
  10. charge — in control
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. swing — music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — electricity

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