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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tube — the underground
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — to confront
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cap — a hat
  20. tube — a container
  21. chest — a box
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rush — a thrill

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