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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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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: stand · capital · face · rash · trunk · staff · court · current

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. court — of a king
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rash — hasty
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. court — for sport
  10. face — to point toward
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. capital — a city
  13. face — to confront
  14. capital — money
  15. rash — a series
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stand — to bear
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — of law

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