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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tube — a container
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mark — a grade
  12. court — for sport
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. court — of a king
  15. kid — child
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. kid — to tease
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. sharp — clever
  23. court — of law
  24. mark — to pay attention

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