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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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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kid — child
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mug — a cup
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mug — a face
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. chest — a box
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. court — for sport

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