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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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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: cap · trunk · calf · snap · perch · land · wave · pitcher

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. land — ground
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cap — a lid
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — to come down
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. land — a country
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cap — a hat

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