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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. land — a country
  3. capital — money
  4. face — to confront
  5. bank — of a river
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. face — to point toward
  17. land — ground
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. land — to come down
  22. capital — a city
  23. bank — for money
  24. bay — a horse colour

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