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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rest — a break
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. row — a line
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. firm — a company
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. net — for catching
  18. staff — employees
  19. firm — steady
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — decided
  22. net — after costs
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — a stick

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