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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. face — part of the head
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chest — a box
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chest — of your body
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chest — of your 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