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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.

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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mark — a grade
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pop — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mark — a trace
  16. face — to confront
  17. pop — to visit
  18. spell — letters
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. spell — magic
  24. calf — of the leg

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