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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — a trace
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — magic
  17. race — humankind
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spell — letters
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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