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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. face — part of the head
  10. season — of the year
  11. face — to confront
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. firm — steady
  14. face — to point toward
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. firm — a company
  18. game — wild animals
  19. shower — rain
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. firm — decided
  23. vault — a safe
  24. game — a match

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