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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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 law
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — of a king
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. court — for sport
  13. scale — in music
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. staff — employees
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. staff — a stick
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — to get on
  24. scale — size or range

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