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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spring — a coil
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spring — the season
  9. stock — shares
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stock — goods
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cap — a hat
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a dance
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spring — of water
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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