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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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. plane — in geometry
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. face — to point toward
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — letters
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. face — to confront
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lie — to recline
  22. content — happy
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. content — the amount

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