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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: staff · foot · band · trunk · mark · straw

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. 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. trunk — of a car
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. band — a ring
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mark — a grade
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mark — a trace
  14. staff — employees
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. band — a music group
  18. 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