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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: roll · hide · trunk · face · fork · dip · staff · cell

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. roll — a cake
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fork — in a road
  9. face — part of the head
  10. roll — a list
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cell — in biology
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. staff — a stick
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. staff — employees
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. staff — employees
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a car
  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