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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cell — a phone
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bass — low music
  14. pop — soda
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pop — to visit
  17. cell — in biology
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bass — the fish
  20. board — a committee
  21. pop — music
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mouse — for a computer

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