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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 · kid · foot · band · leaves · court · trunk · rest

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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 tree
  2. rest — a break
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. court — of a king
  5. rest — what's left
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. band — a music group
  9. court — for sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. court — of law
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. band — a ring
  15. kid — child
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rest — what's left
  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