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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. drill — the tool
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. kid — child
  13. pop — soda
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kid — to tease
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pop — to visit
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stand — for spectators

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