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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. firm — steady
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lean — thin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. firm — a company
  10. cold — not warm
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. face — to confront
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lean — to bend
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wind — moving air
  23. firm — decided
  24. racket — a loud noise

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