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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. face — to point toward
  5. season — of the year
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. root — the cause
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — to confront
  14. chest — a box
  15. bank — for money
  16. bass — low music
  17. root — of a word
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. season — in sport
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bass — the fish

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