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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: wake · deal · toast · tear · calf · bear · trunk · root

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. tear — from crying
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. toast — bread
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tear — to rip
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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