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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hand — in cards
  6. club — a group
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. firm — a company
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bat — the animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. firm — decided
  16. club — for dancing
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mark — a trace
  19. club — for golf
  20. firm — steady
  21. hand — help
  22. face — part of the head
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mark — to pay attention

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