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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
468
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: face · cabinet · mine · staff · bulb · nail · bay · trunk

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. face — part of the head
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — employees
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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