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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — to confront
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. face — to point toward
  8. firm — steady
  9. face — part of the head
  10. row — a line
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pass — a permit
  17. row — to paddle
  18. hide — to keep secret

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