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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: bay · calf · hide · wax · arm · root · hand · trunk

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — of a word
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hand — in cards
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — the cause
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hide — animal skin

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