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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 116 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: fork · root · calf · snap · ruler · trunk · land · season

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. root — of a word
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. root — the cause
  5. land — to come down
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  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