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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: last · arm · face · suit · root · bank · trunk · key

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. last — to go on
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bank — for money
  4. suit — in cards
  5. root — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. face — part of the head
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. suit — to fit
  15. root — the cause
  16. bank — of a river
  17. key — in music
  18. root — of a word
  19. key — for a lock
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — to confront
  22. last — finally
  23. face — to point toward
  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