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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. object — a thing
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fall — to drop
  13. suit — clothes
  14. face — to point toward
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. shower — to wash
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. shower — rain
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — moving air
  24. face — to confront

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