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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · tear · temple · lean · mark · hide · track · squash

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lean — to bend
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. track — to keep track
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tear — to rip
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tear — from crying
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. track — a path
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — to pay attention

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