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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. face — to point toward
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. squash — to crush
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. band — a music group
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. face — part of the head
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. toast — bread
  18. band — a ring
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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