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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. bank — of a river
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — hurry
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mine — for digging
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — an explosive
  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