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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. face — to confront
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. branch — a division
  6. tear — to rip
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. nail — for a hammer

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