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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — of a king
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. foot — a measure
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. saw — the tool

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