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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ball — a great time
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rule — government
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rule — a law
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rash — a series
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ball — a round shape

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