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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. season — of the year
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rule — government
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — a measure
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. season — in sport
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rule — a law
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. calf — a young animal

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