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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. band — a ring
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. band — a music group
  6. cue — for pool
  7. ground — crushed
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ground — a position
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. face — to confront
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — to point toward

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