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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: rash · band · nail · fan · track · face · pitcher · trunk

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. track — a song
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. face — to confront
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a path
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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