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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 · hand · bear · arm · suit · trunk · staff · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pop — soda
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. suit — clothes
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. present — there

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