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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. root — the cause
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. root — of a word
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. deal — to handle
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hand — help
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tube — a container
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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