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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. shower — to wash
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — the amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bulb — for light
  18. content — happy
  19. shower — rain
  20. degree — an amount
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — from a university
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. content — videos and posts

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