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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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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: ruler · stick · calf · trunk · snap · pit · land · wax

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. snap — to click
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — to grow
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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