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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — of a river
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. rest — a break
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — in sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — a partner
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — to confront
  15. mate — a friend
  16. net — for catching
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. net — after costs
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — of water

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