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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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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: cap · face · band · ground · game · trunk · season · nail

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ground — a position
  4. band — a music group
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. season — of the year
  7. game — a match
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ground — the earth
  10. face — to confront
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ground — crushed
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cap — a hat
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. band — a ring

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