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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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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: bass · rash · game · dip · trunk · calf · stand · spell

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stand — to bear
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bass — low music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. game — a match
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spell — letters
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spell — a short time
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spell — magic
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rash — a series
  24. bass — the instrument

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