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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. court — of a king
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. dip — to sink
  16. tube — a container
  17. court — of law
  18. pound — a weight
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hand — help
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. court — for sport

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