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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. game — a match
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — help
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hand — in cards
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fine — all right
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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