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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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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: arm · toast · hide · rule · trunk · jam · rash · calf

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — government
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — hasty
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. toast — bread
  23. rash — a series
  24. rule — a law

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