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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: nail · march · leaves · content · face · toast · trunk · fall

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fall — the season
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. march — music
  11. content — happy
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fall — to drop
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. content — the amount
  19. toast — bread
  20. march — the month
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. march — the month

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