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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. club — for dancing
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. face — part of the head
  7. club — a group
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. object — to protest
  10. club — for golf
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. kick — in football
  15. object — an aim
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — in music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. key — the most important part

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