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

Word bank: trunk · chest · fork · bowl · arm · pound · club · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chest — of your body
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. club — a group
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. chest — a box
  12. club — for golf
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fork — in a road
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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