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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hand — help
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. hand — in cards
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lie — to recline
  9. field — a subject
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rest — a break
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. field — farmland
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. field — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hand — part of the body
  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