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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hand — help
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a ring
  12. bank — for money
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — to drill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hand — in cards
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ball — a great time

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