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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kick — in football
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rush — to hurry

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