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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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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: present · row · cabinet · trunk · pitcher · arm · hand · suit

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. present — there
  3. suit — clothes
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hand — in cards
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — to fit
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hand — part of the body

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