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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · trunk · board · stick · face · can · leaves · chest

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — a tin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. board — to get on
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. can — to be able to
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. face — to confront
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. chest — a box
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. chest — of your body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — a committee
  24. chest — of your body

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