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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · last · trunk · calf · bark · foot · file · tube

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. file — a document
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. face — to confront
  11. file — a line of people
  12. last — final
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. face — to point toward
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bark — to shout
  21. last — finally
  22. file — a tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  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