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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. track — a path
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mine — for digging
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ball — a great time
  19. root — the cause
  20. track — a song
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — of a word
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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