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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. face — to confront
  3. foot — a measure
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. face — part of the head
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rash — a series
  17. land — ground
  18. chest — of your body
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fine — high quality
  21. land — a country
  22. fine — all right
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bowl — a dish

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