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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. court — for sport
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. court — of a king
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lash — to lash out

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