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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — to confront
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bank — of a river
  6. track — a path
  7. stock — shares
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — goods
  10. land — ground
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — to come down
  15. bank — for money
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bear — the animal
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wound — an injury
  24. land — a country

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