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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. race — a contest
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cap — a hat
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chest — a box
  17. face — part of the head
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. race — humankind
  20. mine — for digging
  21. chest — of your body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. face — to confront
  24. club — a group

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