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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 120 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. face — to confront
  13. bank — for money
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bound — certain
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stand — to bear
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. face — part of the head

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