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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rest — what's left
  6. capital — a city
  7. press — newspapers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rest — what's left
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — electricity
  19. press — to push
  20. charge — a price
  21. court — for sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rest — a break
  24. capital — money

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