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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: ruler · key · arm · trunk · hand · rest · date · bulb

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rest — a break
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rest — what's left
  11. date — the fruit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. key — in music
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — help
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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