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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bore — to drill
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bore — to tire
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stem — to come from
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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