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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.

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: last · bowl · rest · face · can · trunk · lash · mine

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rest — a break
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — to go on
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — finally
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. face — to confront
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mine — for digging
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. last — final

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