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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mark — a grade
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. face — to confront
  9. row — to paddle
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. face — to point toward
  24. board — a committee

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