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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: sharp · arm · land · trunk · hand · rock · charge · ground

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ground — crushed
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rock — a stone
  9. ground — a position
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. land — a country
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. land — ground
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. land — to come down
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ground — the earth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rock — music

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