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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: trunk · content · rest · lash · suit · bay · net · arm

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. content — happy
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. net — in sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. rest — a break
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. content — the amount
  24. lash — to lash out

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