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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rock — music
  4. land — ground
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. sharp — clever
  12. land — a country
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bank — of a river
  19. date — the fruit
  20. land — to come down
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rock — a stone

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