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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. lie — to recline
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — army training
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. drill — a practice
  24. game — a match

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