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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · lean · trunk · pop · calf · rash · can · ground

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. pop — music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mate — a partner
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pop — to visit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pop — soda
  21. ground — a position
  22. rash — hasty
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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