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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spring — of water
  4. bass — low music
  5. lie — to recline
  6. staff — a stick
  7. spring — the season
  8. ball — a great time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — a break
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rest — what's left
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. staff — employees
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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