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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: calf · lash · roll · content · mate · cell · trunk · tear

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. cell — a phone
  4. tear — to rip
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — happy
  12. cell — in biology
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. roll — a list
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. content — the amount
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. trunk — of a tree

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