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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · root · calf · face · trunk · perch · bass · march

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. tube — the underground
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bass — the fish
  7. root — of a plant
  8. march — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. march — the month
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. face — to point toward
  17. tube — a container
  18. face — part of the head
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — low music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bass — the instrument

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