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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. net — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — after costs
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — in football
  16. face — part of the head
  17. date — the fruit
  18. face — to confront
  19. net — for catching
  20. saw — the tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. kick — with a leg

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