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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. face — to confront
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. last — to go on
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. last — final
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mate — to breed
  24. last — finally

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