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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: trunk · kick · shower · can · board · lean · face · safe

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. can — a tin
  4. shower — to wash
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. can — to be able to
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. shower — rain
  12. face — to confront
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lean — thin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — part of the head
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. kick — in football
  20. lean — to bend
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. face — to point toward

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