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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · safe · track · trunk · march · calf · root · board

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. march — music
  4. track — a song
  5. march — the month
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. root — of a word
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. track — a path
  12. board — to get on
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. root — the cause
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. track — to keep track
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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