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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 · jam · bat · arm · lash · bank · wind · tube

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bat — the animal
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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