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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spring — of water
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cold — an illness
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fine — all right
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lean — thin
  21. face — to confront
  22. firm — steady
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fine — high quality

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