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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a hat
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cap — of ice
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pit — in a race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — a lid
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bark — to shout
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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