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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. hand — help
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. season — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bank — for money
  13. face — to confront
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stem — to come from

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