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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stock — goods
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lean — thin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — shares
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rest — a break
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lean — to bend
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lean — to rest against

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