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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tear — from crying
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wake — a trail
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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