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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kick — in football
  4. degree — an amount
  5. toast — bread
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — temperature
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. face — to confront
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. degree — from a university
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. face — to point toward
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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