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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bound — obliged
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. shower — rain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — certain
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — in control
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. charge — a price
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — tied together
  21. charge — electricity
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lie — to recline

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