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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: foot · rush · calf · pass · lean · rash · trunk · track

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rash — a series
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rash — hasty
  12. track — a path
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. lean — thin
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lean — to bend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. track — a song
  24. pass — to succeed

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