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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to confront
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bound — certain
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. face — part of the head
  14. row — a line
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. kid — to tease
  20. row — to paddle
  21. kid — child
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bound — obliged

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