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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. face — part of the head
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — to confront
  8. net — for catching
  9. ground — the earth
  10. net — after costs
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — to point toward
  14. track — a song
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. track — a path
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ground — a position
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. track — to keep track

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