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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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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: chair · saw · fall · rush · arm · race · trunk · bowl

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chair — a leader
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fall — the season
  15. race — a contest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. race — humankind
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  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