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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bank — for money
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. land — to come down
  8. rash — a series
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — all right
  11. land — a country
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bank — of a river
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. land — ground
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — to confront
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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