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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. court — of law
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spell — magic
  5. stock — goods
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stock — shares
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spell — letters
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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