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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stand — to bear
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. face — part of the head
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. season — in sport
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — of the year

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