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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 120 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: wound · lean · trunk · hide · saw · pass · tube · face

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pass — a permit
  8. face — to confront
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lean — thin
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. face — part of the head
  24. tube — a container

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