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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. march — the month
  5. rash — a series
  6. scale — size or range
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. face — to point toward
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. march — the month
  12. rash — hasty
  13. kick — in football
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. march — music
  22. face — to confront
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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