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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. face — part of the head
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. club — a group
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. toast — bread
  17. face — to confront
  18. cold — not warm
  19. drill — army training
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. face — to point toward
  22. club — for dancing
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. club — for golf

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