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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bank — for money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bank — of a river
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bank — for money
  12. mug — a cup
  13. face — part of the head
  14. track — a path
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cap — of ice
  17. track — to keep track
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mug — a face
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cap — a lid
  24. swing — music

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