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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. hand — help
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. kick — in football
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — newspapers
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lie — to recline
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cell — in biology
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. cell — a phone
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hand — part of the body

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