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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fine — all right
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — high quality
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mark — a grade
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake

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