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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.

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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 · present · hide · cap · saw · row · face · branch

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. present — there
  7. row — to paddle
  8. present — a gift
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — the time now
  11. row — a line
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. face — to confront
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. branch — a division
  23. face — to point toward
  24. trunk — of a car

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