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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — in cards
  4. face — to confront
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spring — the season
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — low music
  15. bank — for money
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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