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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. face — to point toward
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — to confront
  6. game — a match
  7. face — part of the head
  8. game — wild animals
  9. band — a ring
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — clothes
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spring — the season
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. band — a music group
  18. spring — of water
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bank — for money
  21. staff — employees
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. spring — a coil
  24. tube — a container

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