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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bank — for money
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — music
  9. face — to confront
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bound — certain
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ball — a dance

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