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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
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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: perch · staff · trunk · ground · face · race · spell · leaves

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. staff — employees
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ground — a position
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — to point toward
  6. spell — letters
  7. race — humankind
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ground — the earth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. face — part of the head
  14. perch — the fish
  15. staff — employees
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. ground — crushed
  18. spell — magic
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. staff — a stick
  21. race — a contest
  22. spell — a short time
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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