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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — temperature
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — soda
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fork — in a road
  14. snap — to click
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pop — music
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. degree — from a university
  24. arm — part of the body

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