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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. shower — to wash
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cell — a phone
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — high quality
  9. face — to point toward
  10. shower — rain
  11. fine — all right
  12. face — to confront
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kick — in football
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cue — a signal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cue — for pool

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