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

Word bank: foot · mark · trunk · tube · mate · land

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — a grade
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. tube — the underground
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. foot — a measure
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. mate — a friend
  16. land — ground
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — to pay attention

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