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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 · sharp · last · club · hide · bay · dip · wound

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. club — for dancing
  7. last — finally
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. last — final
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. last — to go on
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wound — an injury

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