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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · chair · arm · rule · ball · mug · trunk · swing

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chair — a leader
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rule — a law
  14. land — to come down
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rule — government
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. mug — a face
  23. ball — a dance
  24. swing — music

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