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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 120 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: wound · temple · tear · chair · trunk · pitcher · rock · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — a leader
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. face — to point toward
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. face — to confront
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rock — music

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