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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. cell — in biology
  2. hand — help
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. court — of law
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cell — a phone
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — obliged
  11. court — of a king
  12. hand — in cards
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bound — tied together
  18. court — for sport
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bound — certain
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  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