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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ball — a great time
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. firm — decided
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. season — in sport
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ball — a dance
  23. season — of the year
  24. trunk — of a tree

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