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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kick — in football
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitch — completely

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