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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: cap · pit · snap · key · trunk · calf · deal · stem

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stem — to come from
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. snap — to click
  8. pit — in a race
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cap — a lid
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. key — in music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pit — a hole
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stem — a stem cell

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