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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hand — help
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — all right
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. fine — high quality
  19. face — to confront
  20. vault — a safe
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bank — of a river

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