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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: trunk · calf · foot · row · rash · stand · object · rush

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. object — to protest
  5. rush — hurry
  6. row — a line
  7. foot — a measure
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. object — a thing
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. row — to paddle
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. object — an aim
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — a series
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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