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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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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 · trunk · lie · chip · track · calf · ruler · roll

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. track — a song
  5. lie — to recline
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — a path
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. roll — a list
  15. face — to point toward
  16. chip — for betting
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. face — part of the head
  24. track — to keep track

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