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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. track — a song
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. track — a path
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. kick — in football
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fine — all right
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fine — high quality
  17. face — to confront
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. kick — with a leg
  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