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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bank — of a river
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pass — a permit
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — of law
  10. toast — bread
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. court — for sport
  18. face — to confront
  19. chair — a leader
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cold — not warm
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cold — an illness

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