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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. object — a thing
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spring — of water
  5. object — to protest
  6. face — to point toward
  7. march — music
  8. net — for catching
  9. march — the month
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — after costs
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. spring — the season
  15. spell — letters
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — a short time
  18. net — in sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spell — magic
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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