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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bank — for money
  4. fine — high quality
  5. face — to confront
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a music group
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cold — an illness
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bank — for money
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. band — a ring
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fine — all right
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bank — of a river
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. cold — not warm
  23. suit — in cards
  24. face — to point toward

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