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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chair — a leader
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. club — a group
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. club — for golf

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