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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. spring — the season
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. sharp — clever
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. chair — a leader
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bowl — a football final

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