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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hand — help
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hand — in cards
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. kick — in football
  24. bound — tied together

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