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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cap — a lid
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. race — a contest
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. degree — temperature
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cap — of ice
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. degree — an amount
  16. race — humankind
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — there
  23. lie — to recline
  24. sharp — with an edge

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