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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. court — for sport
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spring — of water
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. court — of law
  12. spring — the season
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. court — of a king
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lean — thin

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