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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: kick · bank · pound · foot · trunk · rest · cabinet · march

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bank — of a river
  15. march — music
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rest — a break
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — the month
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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