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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: rock · mug · trunk · net · mine · face · bay · chip

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mine — for digging
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mug — to rob
  5. face — to confront
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. net — after costs
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. net — in sport
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. face — to point toward
  15. net — for catching
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chip — for betting
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rock — music

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