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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: lie · arm · date · mug · deal · field · hand · trunk

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hand — help
  4. mug — a face
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. date — the fruit
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mug — to rob
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — for sport
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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