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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. face — part of the head
  4. tube — the underground
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chip — for betting
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. net — after costs
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. net — in sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tube — a container
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chip — to eat
  20. net — for catching
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mate — a partner

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