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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bore — to drill
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rest — a break
  12. bore — to tire
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ruler — a monarch

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