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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chest — of your body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. arm — a part of something

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