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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — a contest
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tube — a container
  11. kid — child
  12. bank — of a river
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. race — the arms race
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. race — humankind
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. face — to confront
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — for money

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