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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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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: fork · rest · kid · trunk · face · suit · arm · stand

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stand — to bear
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kid — to tease
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rest — a break
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. face — to confront
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kid — child
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — in a road
  23. face — to point toward
  24. suit — to fit

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