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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. club — a group
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pop — music
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pop — soda
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. club — for golf
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pop — to visit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lash — to lash out

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