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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wound — an injury
  6. shower — rain
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stand — to bear
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. mark — a trace
  22. face — to confront
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fork — a garden tool

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