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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: trunk · ruler · calf · ground · bowl · arm · saw · chair

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ground — the earth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chair — to sit on

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