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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — a lid
  3. face — to confront
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mate — a friend
  13. dip — to sink
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. face — to point toward
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cap — of ice
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — part of the head

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