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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: face · staff · net · wave · drill · stem · mine · trunk

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to confront
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. net — for catching
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. face — to point toward
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. staff — a stick
  12. drill — army training
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. net — after costs
  23. drill — the tool
  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