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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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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: current · last · chest · temple · firm · face · court · trunk

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. face — to point toward
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. current — happening now
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chest — a box
  10. firm — decided
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. court — of a king
  13. face — to confront
  14. firm — a company
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. chest — of your body
  17. last — to go on
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. last — final
  21. current — electric
  22. firm — steady
  23. current — of water
  24. chest — of your body

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