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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. face — to confront
  3. season — of the year
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wake — a trail
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. track — a song
  13. season — in sport
  14. track — a path
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. track — to keep track
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chest — of your body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to point toward

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