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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bank — for money
  7. dip — to sink
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bank — for money
  12. firm — steady
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. drill — army training
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. firm — decided
  17. sharp — clever
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bank — of a river
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. drill — the tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. trunk — of a tree

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