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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. face — to point toward
  3. scale — in music
  4. object — a thing
  5. tube — the underground
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bank — for money
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bore — to tire
  17. face — part of the head
  18. tube — a container
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. face — to confront
  24. bank — for money

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