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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — of water
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. date — the fruit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. trunk — of a car

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