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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.

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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: bank · face · pop · roll · squash · trunk · pass · swing

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. swing — to play on
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pop — to visit
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. swing — music
  13. roll — a list
  14. face — to confront
  15. bank — for money
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pop — music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pop — soda
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. roll — a cake
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bank — for money

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