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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: stick · trunk · wind · land · calf · face · cue · arm

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wind — moving air
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. face — to confront
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. land — a country
  12. cue — for pool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cue — a hint
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cue — a signal
  22. land — ground
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — to come down

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