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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 · game · lie · wake · date · fine · present · shower

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fine — all right
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lie — to recline
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. shower — to wash
  11. present — there
  12. date — the fruit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. shower — rain
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. game — wild animals
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. game — a match

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