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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cold — not warm
  24. dip — to sink

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