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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stand — to bear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. face — to point toward
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. present — there
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. face — to confront
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mine — for digging
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bank — of a river
  20. face — part of the head
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. present — a gift
  24. leaves — to go away

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