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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: club · trunk · cabinet · face · wind · safe · rash · nail

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. club — for dancing
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rash — a series
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. club — a group
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for golf
  24. nail — on a finger

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