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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to confront
  4. staff — employees
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. swing — music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. swing — in golf
  9. march — music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. march — the month
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — a stick
  18. vault — a safe
  19. face — to point toward
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. swing — to play on

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