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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · face · field · pass · season · lash · trunk · object

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. season — of the year
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. object — an aim
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — to point toward
  14. field — a subject
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. object — a thing
  17. field — for sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. season — in sport
  20. object — to protest
  21. face — to confront
  22. field — farmland
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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