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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: mug · tube · roll · pitch · trunk · face · deal · lie

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. tube — a container
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. face — part of the head
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — completely
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mug — to rob
  18. face — to confront
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. deal — to handle
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tube — the underground

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