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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. court — of law
  2. snap — to click
  3. stock — shares
  4. spell — a short time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. court — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spell — letters
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spell — magic
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. vault — a safe
  19. court — of a king
  20. stock — goods
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rest — what's left
  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