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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: pitcher · can · trunk · face · lean · rash · hide · patient

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rash — hasty
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — a tin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. face — to confront
  15. can — a tin
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — a series
  24. lean — thin

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