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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. court — for sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. court — of law
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — of a king
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. trunk — of a car

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