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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: rash · shower · stand · prune · face · track · calf · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. shower — to wash
  3. track — a song
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. shower — rain
  6. prune — to trim
  7. face — to confront
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. face — part of the head
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rash — a series
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. face — to point toward
  24. calf — of the leg

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