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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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 tree
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. pop — music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. spell — magic
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. pop — soda
  22. rush — hurry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rush — a thrill

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