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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 116 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: board · face · bank · trunk · spell · cell · cue · bear

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cue — a hint
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — for money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cell — a phone
  9. spell — magic
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. face — to confront
  12. bank — of a river
  13. board — to get on
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cue — a signal
  20. board — a committee
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. bear — to put up with

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