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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. face — to confront
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bank — for money
  5. foot — a measure
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rule — a law
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stand — to bear
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. spell — letters
  17. bank — for money
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — government
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spell — a short time
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. spell — magic

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