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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — for money
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. face — to confront
  8. rock — a stone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. face — part of the head
  13. season — of the year
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rock — music
  20. season — in sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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