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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fan · straw · bore · plane · arm · rock · calf

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rock — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. plane — an aircraft

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