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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. track — a song
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bound — tied together
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. track — a path
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. track — to keep track
  24. prune — the fruit

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