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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. court — of a king
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rest — a break
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. mark — a trace
  11. court — for sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — to fit
  14. court — of law
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lean — thin
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rest — what's left
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cue — a signal

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