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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.

Make a worksheet

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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bear — the animal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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