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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bank — of a river
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. root — the cause
  12. saw — the tool
  13. root — of a word
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stock — shares
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stock — goods
  24. court — of law

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