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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — obliged
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — certain
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rest — a break
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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