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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 120 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: arm · face · perch · pound · suit · trunk · chip · season

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — in cards
  4. season — in sport
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. face — to confront
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pound — a weight
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. season — of the year
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chip — to eat

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