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

Word bank: jam · racket · calf · trunk · tear · kid · roll · mug

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kid — child
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mug — to rob
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mug — a face
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tear — to rip
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. roll — a list
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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