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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. court — for sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. court — of law
  13. kick — in football
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. court — of a king
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. prune — the fruit

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