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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 116 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: lash · perch · cabinet · track · trunk · present · file · face

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. track — to keep track
  4. face — part of the head
  5. file — a line of people
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. present — there
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. face — to confront
  13. file — a document
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. track — a path
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. file — a tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. perch — the fish
  21. track — a song
  22. face — to point toward
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — ministers

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