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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. land — a country
  5. cue — a signal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cue — a hint
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. land — ground
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. drill — army training
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lie — to recline
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cue — for pool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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