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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. firm — decided
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — a company
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. firm — steady
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wax — to grow
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. trunk — of a car

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