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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. face — to point toward
  4. present — there
  5. face — to confront
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. hand — help
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — in cards
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. face — part of the head
  20. present — the time now
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  24. pop — soda

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