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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. face — to confront
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rock — music
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rock — a stone
  24. face — part of the head

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