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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — part of the head
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pit — in a race
  24. nail — on a finger

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