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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 116 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: trunk · perch · stand · content · rest · track · face · can

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rest — what's left
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. track — to keep track
  10. content — the amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — a song
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. perch — the fish
  17. track — a path
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. content — happy
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. can — to be able to

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