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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.

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: stand · arm · spring · pit · hide · track · mouse · trunk

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — a coil
  10. track — a song
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spring — of water
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. spring — the season
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hide — animal skin

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