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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. track — a song
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bound — certain
  17. pop — music
  18. track — a path
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — soda
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — a leader
  24. trunk — of a tree

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