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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chest — a box
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. land — ground
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. toast — bread
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bark — to shout
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lie — to recline
  20. land — to come down
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. toast — the most admired

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