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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. face — to point toward
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. present — the time now
  11. face — to confront
  12. staff — employees
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. staff — employees
  15. present — there
  16. track — a path
  17. kick — in football
  18. staff — a stick
  19. present — a gift
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — with a leg

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