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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. club — a group
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. saw — the tool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. club — for golf
  20. tear — to rip
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. tear — from crying
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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