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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. mark — a trace
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mark — a grade
  7. scale — in music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — of the year
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. plane — a tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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