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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rest — what's left
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. face — part of the head
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chip — to eat
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — to confront
  14. ground — crushed
  15. face — to point toward
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. club — a group
  18. ground — a position
  19. chip — for betting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. club — for golf
  22. ground — the earth
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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