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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hand — help
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to click
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. can — a tin
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — to be able to

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