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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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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: sharp · pit · arm · dip · trunk · clip · wake · chair

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — to cut
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pit — a hole
  7. clip — for paper
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. clip — a video
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — clever

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