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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. tear — from crying
  4. face — part of the head
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — goods
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. tear — from crying
  17. face — to confront
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tear — to rip
  21. ball — a great time
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — shares

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