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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: trunk · calf · bank · bark · root · lash · pass · ball

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — for money
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. root — the cause
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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