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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rest — a break
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitch — completely
  21. snap — to click
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rest — what's left

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