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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. content — happy
  3. spring — of water
  4. mate — a partner
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — the season
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — to confront
  10. mate — a friend
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spring — a coil
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. content — the amount
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. coach — a trainer

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