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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. root — the cause
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pitch — completely
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. snap — to click
  22. root — of a word
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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