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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
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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: pit · lash · saw · hide · field · trunk · face · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pit — in a race
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. field — farmland
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. saw — the tool
  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