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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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Word bank
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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 · present · toast · rash · object · nail · trunk · cell

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. present — a gift
  4. toast — bread
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. object — an aim
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — to protest
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. rash — hasty
  13. object — a thing
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rash — a series
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cell — in biology
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. foot — a measure

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