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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bat — the animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. lie — to recline
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lie — an untruth

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