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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: field · face · trunk · lean · file · roll · ruler · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. file — a tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. face — part of the head
  5. roll — a list
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. file — a line of people
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. file — a document
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. face — to confront
  20. field — a subject
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. roll — a cake
  24. face — to point toward

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