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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rock — music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. craft — a skill
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — a stone
  11. face — to confront
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. suit — in cards
  15. file — a document
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. suit — clothes
  18. file — a line of people
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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