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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. kick — in football
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. face — part of the head
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. root — the cause
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. root — of a word
  24. kick — a thrill

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