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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 · wound · game · rest · fork · calf · trunk · pass

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pass — a permit
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rest — a break
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. game — a match
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. game — wild animals

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