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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — to recline
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chest — a box
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. chest — of your body
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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