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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. court — of a king
  6. track — to keep track
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. spell — a short time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. track — a song
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. spell — letters
  17. track — a path
  18. ball — a great time
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. kick — in football
  22. spell — magic
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kick — a thrill

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