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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. file — a line of people
  3. march — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. file — a document
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. pop — to visit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fine — all right
  14. march — the month
  15. face — to confront
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. pop — soda
  19. fine — high quality
  20. march — the month
  21. pop — music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fine — a penalty

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