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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: race · rush · mine · foot · trunk · bark · deal · stick

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. race — humankind
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bark — of a tree

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