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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: mug · trunk · mate · content · pass · root · calf · perch

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pass — a permit
  5. root — the cause
  6. mate — a friend
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — happy
  12. perch — the fish
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — of a word
  21. mug — to rob
  22. root — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  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