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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · hide · face · rest · bass · game · fan · ruler

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bass — low music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — to confront
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rest — a break
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. game — a match
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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