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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. branch — a division
  5. rock — music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. snap — to click
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ball — a dance
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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