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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: arm · trunk · degree · squash · fine · suit · snap · lean

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fine — all right
  4. squash — to crush
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. suit — clothes
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. snap — to click
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. squash — the sport
  19. degree — an amount
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. suit — to fit
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fine — high quality
  24. suit — in cards

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