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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a ring
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — the cause
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tear — to rip
  18. root — of a plant
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. band — a music group
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. trunk — of a car

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