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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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468
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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. face — part of the head
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. scale — in music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitch — completely
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — to rip
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. tear — from crying
  24. trunk — of a tree

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