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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pound — a weight
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. band — a ring
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. band — a music group
  23. rest — a break
  24. trunk — of a car

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