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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: rush · file · face · stick · lash · bank · pitch · trunk

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. face — to confront
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bank — for money
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bank — of a river

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