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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pass — a permit
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lie — to recline
  9. march — music
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ball — a dance
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. lie — an untruth

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