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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: foot · trunk · fall · wound · ball · band · deal · kick

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fall — the season
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — to drop
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fall — to drop

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