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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 · rash · clip · face · bass · trunk · mark · firm

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. clip — to cut
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. face — to confront
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. firm — decided
  9. bank — for money
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mark — a trace
  13. clip — a video
  14. firm — steady
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mark — a grade
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bass — low music
  21. bank — of a river
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. firm — a company

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