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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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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: foot · snap · arm · trunk · face · race · craft · wake

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. craft — a skill
  3. race — a contest
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. snap — to click
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. craft — boats
  14. race — humankind
  15. face — to confront
  16. race — the arms race
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wake — a trail
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. craft — a handicraft

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