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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: cue · craft · foot · toast · race · field · lash · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. foot — a measure
  7. toast — bread
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cue — for pool
  11. race — humankind
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. field — a subject
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. field — for sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cue — a signal
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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