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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pop — music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fall — the season
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — to visit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pop — soda
  22. fall — to drop
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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