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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. swing — to play on
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. swing — music
  24. pitch — completely

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