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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.

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: last · face · leaves · mouse · rash · trunk · net · ball

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. face — to confront
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rash — hasty
  14. net — after costs
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. last — to go on
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rash — a series
  22. last — finally
  23. net — for catching
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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