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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — in sport
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. board — a committee
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. bank — for money
  19. fork — in a road
  20. board — to get on
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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