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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: wave · fork · arm · hide · squash · chair · toast · trunk

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. squash — the sport
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fork — in a road
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. squash — to crush
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. toast — bread
  24. chair — a leader

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