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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bank — for money
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. ground — crushed
  9. season — in sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. face — to confront
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ground — a position
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — to wash
  22. season — of the year
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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