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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. face — to point toward
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spring — a coil
  8. object — a thing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spring — of water
  11. stock — shares
  12. face — part of the head
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. spring — the season
  17. object — an aim
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — of a river
  24. object — to protest

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