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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. mug — a cup
  3. key — in music
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mug — a face
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lean — to bend
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. clip — a video
  12. spring — the season
  13. face — to confront
  14. lean — thin
  15. mug — to rob
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. spring — a coil
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bank — for money
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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