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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mate — a partner
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — to confront
  5. mate — to breed
  6. current — of water
  7. game — wild animals
  8. march — the month
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — a company
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. firm — decided
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — music
  17. firm — steady
  18. mate — a friend
  19. current — electric
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. current — happening now
  24. bulb — for light

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