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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: cap · trunk · face · mark · spring · nail · rest · fall

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. face — to confront
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rest — a break
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fall — the season
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mark — a grade
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a lid
  18. spring — of water
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. trunk — of a car

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