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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mate · suit · trunk · saw · chest · calf · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. chest — of your body
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chest — a box
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mate — to breed
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chest — of your body
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. court — of a king
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mate — a partner
  23. suit — to fit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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