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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · object · content · mug · saw · lash · arm · net

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — happy
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. content — the amount
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. saw — the tool
  15. object — to protest
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. net — in sport
  19. mug — a face
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — a thing

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