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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — a committee
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fine — high quality
  7. foot — a measure
  8. face — to confront
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — a grade
  11. staff — a stick
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. board — to get on
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. staff — employees
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. face — to point toward
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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