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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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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: firm · rest · face · current · trunk · stick · lean · row

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rest — what's left
  3. face — part of the head
  4. firm — a company
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. row — to paddle
  12. firm — decided
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lean — thin
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. firm — steady
  19. current — happening now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. row — a line
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — a break
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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