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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — to keep track
  3. face — part of the head
  4. last — final
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — of water
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. last — finally
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — a hint
  12. face — to confront
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — a tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bank — of a river
  20. last — to go on
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cue — for pool

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