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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pit — in a race
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — a thing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pit — a hole
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to click
  15. object — an aim
  16. court — of law
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. court — of a king
  19. sharp — clever
  20. court — for sport
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wound — an injury

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