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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spring — of water
  4. firm — decided
  5. key — the most important part
  6. face — part of the head
  7. key — in music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. face — to confront
  10. bank — for money
  11. key — for a lock
  12. firm — steady
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. spring — the season
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. firm — a company
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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