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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: mouse · trunk · ground · fall · face · stick · leaves · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ground — a position
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — the season
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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