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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · lean · mate · arm · trunk · wind · pitcher · rash

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rash — a series

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