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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tube — a container
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. root — of a word
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. root — the cause
  24. rush — a thrill

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