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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — to confront
  10. rash — hasty
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rash — a series
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. game — a match
  23. bear — the animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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