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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fine — all right
  4. track — a song
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bank — of a river
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — for golf
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. track — a path
  18. club — a group
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bank — for money
  21. kick — in football
  22. fine — high quality
  23. club — for dancing
  24. track — to keep track

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