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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 116 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: trunk · lean · shower · calf · hand · bowl · pit · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lean — thin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. shower — rain
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. ball — a great time
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. hand — help
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pit — a hole
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bowl — a football final

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