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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · rush · court · lie · face · race · trunk · suit

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. race — a contest
  3. face — to confront
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. court — of a king
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. court — of law
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lie — to recline
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. court — for sport

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