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

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rest — a break
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a dance
  14. shower — rain
  15. foot — a measure
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. craft — boats
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. craft — a skill
  24. shower — to wash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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