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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — of water
  4. face — to confront
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. spring — the season
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cue — a hint
  22. club — for golf
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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