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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. charge — a price
  7. present — the time now
  8. spell — magic
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. net — in sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. net — after costs
  13. face — to point toward
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — there
  16. spell — letters
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. present — a gift
  19. net — for catching
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rush — hurry
  24. charge — electricity

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