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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: trunk · field · calf · wake · firm · rush · mine · foot

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. firm — decided
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. field — a subject
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. field — for sport
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. field — farmland
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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