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

Word bank: wind · ruler · kick · toast · trunk · foot

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. kick — in football
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. toast — bread
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. foot — the bottom

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