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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. club — for golf
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. object — an aim
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — to recline
  11. club — for dancing
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. club — a group
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — to confront

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