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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lean — thin
  4. row — a line
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fine — high quality
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fine — all right
  9. suit — to fit
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. track — to keep track
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. row — to paddle
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. calf — a young animal

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