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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. drill — a practice
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. drill — the tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. drill — army training
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. land — a country
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ground — a position
  24. bank — of a river

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