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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hand — help
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rash — hasty
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rash — a series
  15. sharp — clever
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bass — the fish
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bass — low music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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