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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — a grade
  5. season — of the year
  6. object — a thing
  7. face — to confront
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. hand — help
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bank — for money
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stock — goods
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. object — an aim
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — to point toward
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. object — to protest
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. season — in sport
  24. face — part of the head

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