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

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pop — soda
  12. key — the most important part
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pop — to visit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. key — for a lock
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. key — in music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — music

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