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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. object — to protest
  4. dip — to sink
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. object — a thing
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. track — a song
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. present — the time now
  24. dip — to dunk

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