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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: trunk · staff · saw · lash · tear · net · foot · bear

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. staff — employees
  5. foot — a measure
  6. net — for catching
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. staff — employees
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. staff — a stick

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