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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: chip · rash · rest · ground · trunk · face · field · mouse

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — to point toward
  11. field — for sport
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rash — hasty
  17. field — farmland
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. field — a subject
  20. face — to confront
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ground — a position
  24. rest — a break

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