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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 116 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 · bound · nail · season · stand · pitcher · prune · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bound — certain
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — obliged
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bound — tied together
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. face — to confront
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — in sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — to bear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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