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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — to confront
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. net — in sport
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — after costs
  20. face — to point toward
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. file — a tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. hide — to keep secret

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