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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · branch · bank · fan · face · toast · fork · trunk

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. field — for sport
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fork — in a road
  6. field — a subject
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. toast — bread
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — of a river
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. field — farmland
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. branch — of a tree

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