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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. last — final
  4. court — of a king
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. court — for sport
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. staff — employees
  14. last — to go on
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. court — of law
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — finally
  24. foot — a measure

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