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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. shower — rain
  4. face — to confront
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. face — to point toward
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cell — a phone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cell — in biology
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — to pay attention

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