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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: last · mark · court · lie · chip · trunk · mate · fan

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. last — final
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. last — to go on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. court — of a king
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. court — for sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — finally
  14. court — of law
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — a trace
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mark — to pay attention

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