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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. object — a thing
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. stock — goods
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stock — shares
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. face — part of the head
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. squash — the sport

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