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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stand — to bear
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bark — to shout
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bark — 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