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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cap — a lid
  4. degree — from a university
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cap — of ice
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. degree — an amount
  24. jam — in traffic

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