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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · trunk · bear · snap · sharp · key · lie · face

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. 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. bear — the animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. face — part of the head
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to click
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. key — the most important part
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. face — to confront
  23. bear — the animal
  24. 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