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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: branch · can · craft · face · spell · trunk

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. face — to point toward
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. craft — boats
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — to confront
  16. spell — letters
  17. can — to be able to
  18. trunk — of a car

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