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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mark — a grade
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fine — all right
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chest — a box
  23. drill — army training
  24. rash — hasty

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