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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rest — a break
  4. bank — for money
  5. root — the cause
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. object — to protest
  8. face — part of the head
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — an aim
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bank — of a river
  15. root — of a word
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. face — to point toward
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. object — a thing
  22. face — to confront
  23. game — a match
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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