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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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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: trunk · wind · bay · bowl · hide · clip · racket · face

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. face — to confront
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. face — part of the head
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. clip — for paper
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. clip — a video
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. clip — to cut
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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