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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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 an elephant
  3. mine — for digging
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. perch — the fish
  6. face — part of the head
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — the fish
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — low music
  16. root — of a word
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. face — to confront
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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