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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. spring — a coil
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. present — the time now
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lean — thin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. spring — the season
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spring — of water
  20. present — there
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. present — a gift
  24. cue — a signal

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