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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: dip · mate · chest · current · trunk · arm · snap · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. current — of water
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. snap — to click
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. dip — to sink
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. current — electric
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. current — happening now

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