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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bank — of a river
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — a path
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. track — a song
  18. hand — help
  19. club — for dancing
  20. face — to confront
  21. hand — in cards
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — to point toward

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