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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: bank · ruler · trunk · spell · lean · kick · sharp · arm

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spell — a short time
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bank — of a river
  11. kick — in football
  12. spell — letters
  13. bank — for money
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — magic
  24. lean — to bend

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