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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: saw · mine · trunk · foot · can · pass · face · bear

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pass — a permit
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mine — an explosive

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