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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — to confront
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. band — a ring
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. race — humankind
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fine — all right
  13. season — in sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. present — a gift
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bank — of a river
  19. present — the time now
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bank — for money
  22. race — a contest
  23. season — of the year
  24. band — a music group

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