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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a document
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ball — a great time
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cell — a phone
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — size or range
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ball — a dance
  17. scale — in music
  18. file — a line of people
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. face — to confront
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cell — in biology

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