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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: bat · trunk · toast · wave · perch · staff · rest · foot

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. staff — employees
  5. toast — bread
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. staff — a stick

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