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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to point toward
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — the cause
  10. cold — not warm
  11. root — of a word
  12. bank — for money
  13. cold — an illness
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bank — for money
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bass — low music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. pitcher — a jug

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