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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 116 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 · trunk · field · nail · root · current · rock · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. face — part of the head
  4. current — electric
  5. field — for sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. root — of a word
  12. face — to confront
  13. current — happening now
  14. bank — of a river
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — for money
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rock — a stone
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — the cause

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