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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — for money
  4. ball — a great time
  5. shower — rain
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — to confront
  10. shower — to wash
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. staff — a stick
  18. object — a thing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. staff — employees

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