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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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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: calf · court · key · cell · trunk · stick · charge · lash

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. cell — a phone
  15. charge — in control
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. court — of law

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