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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. court — of a king
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. suit — to fit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. court — for sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — a division
  17. cue — a hint
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lie — to recline

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