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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. face — part of the head
  16. season — in sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. season — of the year
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. charge — in control
  23. bank — of a river
  24. land — to come down

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