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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: ball · game · firm · face · nail · bank · trunk · object

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. game — a match
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bank — for money
  8. object — an aim
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. object — to protest
  11. firm — a company
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — of a river
  14. face — part of the head
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — to point toward
  19. firm — decided
  20. object — a thing
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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