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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — obliged
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bound — tied together
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bound — certain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mark — a trace
  12. scale — in music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lie — to recline
  15. prune — to trim
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. scale — size or range
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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