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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: lie · hand · kick · arm · jam · snap · chip · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. snap — to click
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. hand — help
  12. kick — in football
  13. chip — to eat
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lie — to recline
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. chip — for betting
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — part of the body

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