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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.

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: rock · hide · fan · trunk · object · chair · face · wind

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. face — to point toward
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to confront
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rock — music
  19. object — to protest
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. face — part of the head
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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