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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. 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. face — to confront
  2. bank — for money
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. present — a gift
  6. face — part of the head
  7. sharp — clever
  8. present — there
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. present — the time now
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. 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