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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. swing — music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — crushed
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ground — a position
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rest — a break
  11. branch — a division
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — in golf
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — to confront
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mark — a grade
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. swing — to play on
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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