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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 124 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chest — a box
  4. capital — money
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bank — for money
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. chest — of your body
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. capital — a city
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. toast — bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. chest — of your body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bank — for money
  24. face — to point toward

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