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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ground — crushed
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mug — to rob
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ground — the earth
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ground — a position
  16. mug — a face
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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