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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. last — final
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. last — finally
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. last — to go on
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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