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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: mark · calf · chest · suit · squash · trunk · stem · foot

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. foot — a measure
  14. squash — the sport
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chest — a box
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — to crush

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