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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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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: can · lash · kick · root · bay · trunk · face · land

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. root — of a word
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. land — a country
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. face — to point toward
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. root — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. can — a tin

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