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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. club — for golf
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bat — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rest — a break

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