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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: fall · ball · trunk · dip · key · bank · face · hand

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — in music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — to point toward
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ball — a great time
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. hand — in cards
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. face — part of the head
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. hand — help
  24. fall — the season

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