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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: court · march · trunk · arm · ground · ball · plane · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. plane — a tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. march — the month
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. ground — a position
  9. march — the month
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. march — music
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ground — crushed
  18. court — of law
  19. ball — a great time
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ball — a dance
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. plane — in geometry

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