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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: face · trunk · pop · mark · ball · safe · track · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pop — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. track — a song
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wind — moving air
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pop — soda
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. track — a path
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. ball — a dance
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pop — to visit
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. face — to confront

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