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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: saw · rush · bear · bat · calf · rash · wake · trunk

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. calf — a young animal

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