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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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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: plane · calf · pitcher · ground · trunk · snap · saw · tube

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ground — a position
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to click
  15. plane — a tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. calf — of the leg

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