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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cap — a hat
  8. face — to confront
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cap — a lid
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cap — of ice
  24. scale — in music

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