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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bank — for money
  3. chest — of your body
  4. firm — decided
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — letters
  10. firm — steady
  11. chest — of your body
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. spell — magic
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — a company
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bank — of a river
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — boats
  24. chair — a leader

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