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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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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: face · pitch · trunk · file · snap · ruler · ball · mate

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — completely
  4. file — a tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mate — a partner
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. face — to confront
  13. mate — to breed
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to click
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. face — part of the head
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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