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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. track — a path
  8. shower — to wash
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fall — the season
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — rain
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fall — to drop
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — of ice
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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