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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: bank · root · leaves · calf · row · cue · trunk · foot

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cue — a signal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. root — of a plant
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. root — the cause
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. root — of a word
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. row — a line
  22. cue — for pool
  23. row — to paddle
  24. trunk — of a car

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