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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: rash · trunk · ground · snap · hand · band · chest · mate

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chest — a box
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ground — the earth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chest — of your body
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ground — a position
  10. rash — a series
  11. hand — help
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mate — a partner
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. band — a ring
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a music group
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ground — crushed
  24. snap — to click

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