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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: trunk · calf · hand · temple · bulb · lash · ground · saw

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. saw — the tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ground — a position
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lash — to lash out

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