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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bark — to shout
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. root — the cause
  10. tear — to rip
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — to crush
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. trunk — of a tree

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