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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: wake · season · lie · hand · face · trunk · tube · file

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — a container
  9. file — a line of people
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. face — to confront
  12. season — in sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. file — a tool
  15. face — part of the head
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. season — of the year
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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