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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rest — a break
  6. fork — in a road
  7. face — part of the head
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. board — a committee
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. board — to get on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — of a river
  20. face — to confront
  21. rash — a series
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bank — for money

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