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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: rash · rest · arm · net · trunk · wax · fall · calf

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rest — a break
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fall — the season
  13. wax — to grow
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — hasty
  17. net — for catching
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — a series
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. net — after costs
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fall — to drop

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