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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chest — of your body
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. branch — a division
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chest — a box
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. track — a path
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. drill — army training
  16. track — to keep track
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. track — a song
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. chest — of your body

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