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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 120 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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. root — of a word
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. track — a song
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. root — the cause
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ball — a dance
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. track — a path
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. club — a group

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