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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · lie · trunk · wave · jam · content · spell · straw

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. content — the amount
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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