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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 116 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: trunk · face · lash · present · racket · rush · squash · track

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rush — hurry
  4. squash — the sport
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. squash — to crush
  7. face — to confront
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — the time now
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. track — a path
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. track — a song
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. present — a gift
  22. face — to point toward
  23. present — there
  24. lash — an eyelash

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