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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: arm · trunk · pass · current · sharp · snap · bore · stand

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. snap — to click
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. sharp — clever
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bore — to tire
  10. current — of water
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. current — electric
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bore — to drill
  19. current — happening now
  20. stand — to bear
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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