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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — the season
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spell — letters
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — magic
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. face — to confront
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rock — music
  24. face — part of the head

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