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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. face — to point toward
  10. toast — bread
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. net — for catching
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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