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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bass — the fish
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bass — low music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. firm — decided
  10. face — part of the head
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. face — to confront
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. court — of a king
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. court — for sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — to shout
  24. court — of law

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