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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · rash · trunk · wake · present · chair · mouse · face

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. present — a gift
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. chair — a leader
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. present — the time now
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ball — a great time
  17. present — there
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — to confront

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