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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · leaves · firm · ball · calf · track · rush · fan

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. firm — steady
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. track — a path
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. track — to keep track
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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