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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. season — in sport
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. object — to protest
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — of the year
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. snap — to click
  13. object — an aim
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. face — part of the head
  16. object — a thing
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. face — to confront
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. trunk — of a tree

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