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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. staff — employees
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — of law
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. snap — to click
  19. rest — what's left
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. branch — a division
  24. trunk — of a car

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