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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. court — for sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — in football
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. court — of a king
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. season — of the year
  24. court — of law

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