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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — in control
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. toast — bread
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. face — to point toward
  17. charge — a price
  18. bank — of a river

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