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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — a country
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. can — a tin
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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