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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. bank — for money
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. capital — a city
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. capital — money
  17. face — part of the head
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. spring — the season
  20. hand — help
  21. deal — to handle
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spring — a coil
  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