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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: perch · face · chip · chest · leaves · trunk · suit · present

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. suit — clothes
  4. present — a gift
  5. chest — of your body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. suit — in cards
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. suit — to fit
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. present — the time now
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chip — to eat
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chest — a box
  20. face — part of the head
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. present — there
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. perch — the fish

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