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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. court — of law
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cue — for pool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cue — a hint
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — for catching
  19. rest — a break
  20. bank — for money
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — for money
  24. lean — thin

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