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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — completely
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. file — a line of people
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. file — a tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. file — a document
  23. board — a committee
  24. hide — to keep secret

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