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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: mark · arm · bat · season · trunk · pit · lash · chest

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. season — in sport
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. season — of the year
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — a hole
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pit — in a race

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