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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kick — in football
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. content — happy
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lean — to bend
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bore — to drill
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. content — the amount
  22. lean — thin
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. kick — with a leg

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