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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 120 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: rest · nail · firm · calf · racket · trunk · mark · perch

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. firm — steady
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. firm — a company
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. perch — the fish
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — decided
  24. trunk — of a car

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