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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: bark · trunk · mark · swing · face · rock · fan · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rock — a stone
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. swing — to play on
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — part of the head
  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