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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. drill — the tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. face — to confront
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. drill — a practice
  13. face — to point toward
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. drill — army training
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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