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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: lie · trunk · last · spell · toast · court · cabinet · fan

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. court — for sport
  3. last — finally
  4. court — of a king
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — letters
  11. last — final
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. court — of law
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. last — to go on
  19. toast — bread
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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