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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.

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: trunk · fan · kick · present · bark · face · lie · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. face — to confront
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — in football
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. present — there
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — to recline
  19. present — a gift
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. present — the time now
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. kick — a thrill

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