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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 120 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 · mug · bass · trunk · spring · lie · calf · pop

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — to rob
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. spring — of water
  15. bass — the fish
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lie — to recline
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bass — low music

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