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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. 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. saw — the tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. face — part of the head
  4. capital — money
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bank — for money
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spring — of water
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. bass — low music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bass — the fish
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. 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