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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: object · plane · calf · straw · snap · trunk · content · racket

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. content — the amount
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. object — a thing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. content — happy
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. object — to protest
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. snap — to click
  24. object — an aim

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