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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. firm — steady
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. face — part of the head
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — a company
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. firm — decided
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. perch — the fish
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. face — to point toward
  24. tear — from crying

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