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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: rush · board · foot · jam · shower · bat · bear · trunk

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. board — to get on
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. shower — rain
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. board — a committee
  24. bat — for baseball

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