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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — low music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. track — a path
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — a song
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — part of the head
  14. saw — the tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. track — to keep track
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bass — the fish
  24. face — to point toward

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