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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 120 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — part of the head
  4. file — a document
  5. land — a country
  6. file — a tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. file — a line of people
  9. land — to come down
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. face — to point toward
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bound — certain
  19. suit — clothes
  20. land — ground
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. face — to confront
  23. suit — to fit
  24. racket — for tennis

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