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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — in music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chest — of your body
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chest — a box
  13. face — to confront
  14. board — to get on
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. saw — the tool
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. board — a committee
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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