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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. date — the fruit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. craft — boats
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. sharp — clever
  21. chair — a leader
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lash — an eyelash

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