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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. firm — a company
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mine — for digging
  18. chest — of your body
  19. firm — steady
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. firm — decided
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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