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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: snap · board · stand · rest · tube · trunk · scale · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. board — a committee
  3. tube — a container
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. board — to get on
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. scale — in music
  12. rest — a break
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stand — to bear
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stand — for spectators

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