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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lean — thin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. key — in music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. key — the most important part
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fine — a penalty

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