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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: bat · mark · cell · mug · face · date · pop · trunk

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pop — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. cell — in biology
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. mug — a face
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mug — a cup
  24. trunk — of a tree

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