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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: cell · racket · stick · trunk · game · leaves · mark · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. game — wild animals
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — in biology
  15. game — a match
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. face — part of the head
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cell — a phone
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mark — a trace

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