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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: wake · trunk · suit · foot · toast · ball · chip · straw

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. toast — bread
  9. chip — for betting
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wake — a trail

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