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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: stick · mine · kick · trunk · fall · mark · chest · court

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. fall — the season
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. court — of a king
  14. chest — a box
  15. court — for sport
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. court — of law
  24. kick — with a leg

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