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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 · trunk · foot · fall · coach · toast · scale · stick

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kick — in football
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fall — to drop
  11. toast — bread
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. scale — in music
  19. fall — the season
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. trunk — of a car

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