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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bass — the fish
  14. suit — clothes
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chest — a box
  18. bass — low music
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — to fit
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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