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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 124 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. net — after costs
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bass — low music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. net — in sport
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. face — to confront
  23. vault — a safe
  24. net — for catching

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