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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. club — a group
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lean — to bend
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bound — certain
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. row — to paddle
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — a gift
  15. club — for golf
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lean — thin
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. face — to confront
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — to rest against

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