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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. face — to point toward
  7. craft — boats
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bank — of a river
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. object — a thing
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. craft — a skill
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. straw — a straw man

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