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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. shower — rain
  3. plane — a tool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cue — a signal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mug — a cup
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cue — for pool
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. game — wild animals
  21. shower — to wash
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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