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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: bay · court · trunk · plane · object · chest · lash · bear

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. court — of law
  3. object — to protest
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chest — of your body
  7. object — an aim
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chest — a box
  14. plane — a tool
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. object — a thing

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