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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a match
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. face — to point toward
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bank — of a river
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pop — soda
  11. drill — army training
  12. face — to confront
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. face — part of the head
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bank — for money

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