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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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. craft — a handicraft
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fine — high quality
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chest — of your body
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bound — certain
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — obliged
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — of a river
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bank — for money
  17. fine — all right
  18. face — to confront
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chest — a box
  21. craft — boats
  22. bound — tied together
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chest — of your body

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