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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. present — there
  3. court — for sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. snap — to click
  7. court — of a king
  8. rush — hurry
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. court — of law
  11. lie — to recline
  12. present — the time now
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. present — a gift
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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