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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 · board · club · staff · rush · face · lie · hand

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — to confront
  4. hand — help
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rush — hurry
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. club — a group
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. club — for golf
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. board — to get on
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — to recline
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. board — a flat piece

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