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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — to bend
  9. hand — in cards
  10. present — there
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. hand — help
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lean — thin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to confront
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — a series
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hand — part of the body

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