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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. staff — a stick
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — to point toward
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — to keep track
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. track — a song
  19. race — the arms race
  20. face — part of the head
  21. content — the amount
  22. face — to confront
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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