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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: object · face · shower · hand · band · stand · trunk · charge

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hand — in cards
  4. band — a ring
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hand — help
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. charge — a price
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. band — a music group
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — in control
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. object — an aim
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. face — to confront
  24. trunk — of a car

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