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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — of law
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. court — of a king
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. court — for sport
  10. object — to protest
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cell — a phone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cell — in biology
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. object — an aim
  24. foot — the bottom

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