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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — part of the head
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — to point toward
  6. object — a thing
  7. key — in music
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. key — the most important part
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — an aim
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stand — to bear
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. object — to protest
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. face — to confront
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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