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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — money
  4. mug — a face
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. last — final
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stock — shares
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — the tool
  14. face — to confront
  15. drill — army training
  16. mug — a cup
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. drill — a practice
  20. face — to point toward
  21. last — to go on
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. bank — for money

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