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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. prune — to trim
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bass — low music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chest — of your body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chest — a box
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. tube — a container
  24. chest — of your body

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