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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: bear · toast · trunk · mate · shower · track · jam · foot

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mate — a friend
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mate — to breed
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. track — to keep track
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. track — a song
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. track — a path
  24. toast — bread

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