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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · object · calf · pop · cue · straw · ball · face

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. face — to point toward
  3. object — a thing
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. cue — a hint
  7. object — an aim
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cue — a signal
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. object — to protest
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pop — music
  24. trunk — of a car

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