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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. face — to point toward
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. board — a committee
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. bank — for money
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hand — help
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lean — to bend
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lean — thin
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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