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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: foot · rock · club · rest · hide · trunk · firm · kid

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kid — to tease
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. club — a group
  9. firm — a company
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. kid — child
  12. club — for golf
  13. firm — decided
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rock — a stone
  16. firm — steady
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rock — music
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rest — a break

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