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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spring — of water
  10. face — part of the head
  11. field — for sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fine — all right
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fine — high quality
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pit — a hole

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