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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. face — part of the head
  3. mug — to rob
  4. track — a path
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mug — a face
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rule — a law
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — government
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. track — a song
  15. bank — for money
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bank — for money
  18. toast — bread
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bank — of a river
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. vault — a safe
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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