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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chair — a leader
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bark — to shout
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spell — letters
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chair — a professorship

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