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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · rule · trunk · arm · content · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — government
  6. content — happy
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — to protest
  13. lie — to recline
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. object — an aim
  16. rule — a law
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. content — the amount

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