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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: bank · wake · fine · bay · trunk · chair · scale · face

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wake — a trail
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bank — for money
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fine — all right
  16. face — to confront
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. scale — in music
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bay — a horse colour

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