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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. board — a committee
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bank — of a river
  15. board — to get on
  16. file — a tool
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. file — a document
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. face — to confront

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