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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — there
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. present — the time now
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. hand — help
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. present — a gift

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