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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rest — a break
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — of a king
  7. pop — to visit
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cue — a signal
  13. court — for sport
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — music
  18. craft — boats
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pop — soda
  22. court — of law
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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