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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a document
  3. court — for sport
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ball — a dance
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fine — all right
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. court — of law
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. court — of a king
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fine — high quality
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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