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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. face — part of the head
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. face — to confront
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. file — a tool
  17. face — to point toward
  18. file — a line of people
  19. scale — size or range
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. file — a document

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