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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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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — a song
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — a path
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. net — for catching
  16. wake — a trail
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to confront

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