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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.

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: face · trunk · tube · rash · deal · pit · squash · bat

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. tube — a container
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pit — a hole
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rash — a series
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tube — the underground
  24. face — to confront

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