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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. bank — for money
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. content — happy
  4. kick — in football
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. saw — the tool
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fall — the season
  11. content — the amount
  12. suit — in cards
  13. face — to confront
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to point toward
  18. saw — the tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. squash — to crush
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fall — to drop
  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