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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. face — to point toward
  3. file — a tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. file — a document
  7. face — part of the head
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. squash — to crush
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lie — to recline
  18. face — to confront
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the vegetable

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