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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 116 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: bay · deal · trunk · ball · lash · calf · land · kid

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. land — to come down
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kid — child
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. land — a country
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. land — ground

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