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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. swing — music
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. swing — in golf
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stand — to bear
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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