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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
468
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: hand · trunk · chair · arm · current · ball · chip · straw

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. current — of water
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hand — in cards
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. current — happening now
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chip — for betting
  15. hand — help
  16. ball — a dance
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chip — to eat
  20. current — electric
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a great time
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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