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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fine — all right
  4. fall — to drop
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. staff — a stick
  15. face — part of the head
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — to drop
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. staff — employees

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