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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bank — for money
  3. face — part of the head
  4. last — finally
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bank — of a river
  8. staff — employees
  9. face — to confront
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. last — to go on
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. face — to point toward
  19. file — a tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. file — a document
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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