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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. present — a gift
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lean — thin
  17. track — a song
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. present — the time now
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lash — an eyelash

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