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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. court — of a king
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. court — of law
  9. rule — government
  10. snap — to click
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — for sport
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rule — a law
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cell — a phone

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