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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — to confront
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pop — to visit
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pop — music
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. clip — a video
  17. pop — soda
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. clip — to cut

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