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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rash — hasty
  13. suit — to fit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. band — a ring
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. band — a music group
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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