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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. last — to go on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. last — final
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chest — of your body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chair — a leader
  12. face — to point toward
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. key — in music
  16. root — the cause
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. root — of a word
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. root — of a plant
  21. vault — a safe
  22. last — finally
  23. chest — a box
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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