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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 120 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. club — a group
  4. ground — a position
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. face — to point toward
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — for dancing
  12. face — to confront
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ground — the earth
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tube — a container
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. kick — in football
  23. march — music
  24. club — for golf

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