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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: face · leaves · press · spell · rash · lash · rock · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. face — to confront
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spell — letters
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — magic
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rash — a series
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. press — newspapers

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