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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: trunk · firm · bank · pass · chest · cue · lean · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — thin
  7. chest — a box
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lean — to bend
  12. firm — decided
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bank — for money
  16. chest — of your body
  17. firm — steady
  18. pass — a permit
  19. face — part of the head
  20. firm — a company
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. face — to point toward
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bank — for money

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