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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rock — music
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. field — farmland
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. face — to confront
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lean — thin
  24. key — for a lock

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