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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — for golf
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. net — for catching
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — to bear
  11. net — after costs
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bank — for money
  14. club — for dancing
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — to confront
  19. club — a group
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bank — of a river
  24. net — in sport

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