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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. file — a line of people
  6. chest — of your body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — to handle
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a tool
  15. chest — a box
  16. file — a document
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. can — to be able to
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bulb — for light

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