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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. key — in music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mark — a grade
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. key — the most important part
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. temple — a place of worship

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