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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pop — soda
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — part of the head
  8. plane — a tool
  9. land — ground
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — to rob
  13. last — finally
  14. net — in sport
  15. bank — of a river
  16. land — a country
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — to go on
  20. net — after costs
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pop — to visit
  23. land — to come down
  24. last — final

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