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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bass — the fish
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bass — low music
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. foot — a measure
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kick — in football
  24. foot — 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