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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: ruler · face · staff · lean · object · hide · trunk · cap

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. object — to protest
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lean — thin
  12. staff — employees
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a hat
  16. object — a thing
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. object — an aim
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. face — to confront
  24. staff — a stick

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