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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: object · stand · jam · lean · trunk · foot · last · hand

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. last — final
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lean — thin
  9. object — to protest
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. hand — help
  12. object — a thing
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. last — to go on
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. object — an aim
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. stand — to bear
  23. last — finally
  24. lean — to bend

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