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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lean — thin
  15. track — a path
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — in a race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lash — an eyelash

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