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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. face — part of the head
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. face — to point toward
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. face — to confront
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. band — a music group
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. band — a ring
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. season — in sport

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