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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. court — of law
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. field — farmland
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. court — of a king
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. court — for sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rule — government
  20. bear — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. field — a subject
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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