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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. hand — help
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. face — to confront
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. object — a thing
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — to protest
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. object — an aim
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stand — for spectators

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