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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fine — high quality
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — a tool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. shower — rain
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. shower — to wash

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