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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. content — the amount
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stem — to come from
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rest — a break
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — in football
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. content — happy
  24. wax — in the ear

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