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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rest — a break
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. game — a match
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. kick — in football
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rest — what's left

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