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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mug — a face
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. face — to confront
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to point toward
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. court — for sport
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. court — of law
  24. mug — to rob

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