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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · face · rush · bat · mouse · court · mark · date

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. face — to confront
  4. date — the fruit
  5. face — part of the head
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. court — of law
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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