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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — army training
  3. wind — moving air
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. net — after costs
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. net — in sport
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chair — a leader
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bank — for money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — of a river
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bank — for money

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