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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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 an elephant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. face — to confront
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — the underground
  14. face — part of the head
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rock — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tube — in a tire

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