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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. last — final
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. key — the most important part
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. last — finally
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — a leader
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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