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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: stem · trunk · hide · foot · rush · face · fine · track

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. track — a song
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. track — a path
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. face — to confront
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fine — all right
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rush — hurry
  24. face — part of the head

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