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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. spring — of water
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bore — to tire
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cell — in biology
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. spring — the season
  24. bore — to drill

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