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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 120 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: face · bank · prune · object · board · hide · trunk · cap

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. object — a thing
  6. board — a committee
  7. face — to confront
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. face — part of the head
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. object — to protest
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. face — to point toward
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. cap — a hat

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