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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cue — a hint
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. hand — in cards
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. game — a match
  12. court — of a king
  13. lie — to recline
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. court — of law
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. cue — for pool
  22. hand — help
  23. court — for sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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