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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. court — of law
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a match
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. court — for sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. game — wild animals
  22. court — of a king
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. trunk — of a car

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