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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: present · nail · face · trunk · bark · ball · rush · object

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bark — to shout
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. present — there
  5. ball — a dance
  6. face — to point toward
  7. present — the time now
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. present — a gift
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. object — to protest
  14. face — to confront
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. object — a thing
  23. rush — hurry
  24. face — part of the head

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