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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spring — of water
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rock — a stone
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. march — the month
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. current — happening now
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rock — music
  24. spring — the season

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