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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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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: root · calf · toast · hand · stick · arm · cell · trunk

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. root — the cause
  10. toast — bread
  11. cell — in biology
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cell — a phone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. root — of a word
  24. arm — part of the body

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