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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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 an elephant
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. suit — to fit
  8. present — there
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. game — wild animals
  11. suit — in cards
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. present — the time now
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — in cards
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. game — a match
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. present — a gift

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