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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. capital — money
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. face — to point toward
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. capital — a city
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. chest — a box
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — to confront
  24. capital — a big letter

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