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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — to confront
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — for sport
  7. suit — clothes
  8. field — farmland
  9. face — to point toward
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spell — magic
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — for money
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. face — part of the head
  21. suit — to fit
  22. spell — letters
  23. object — an aim
  24. bank — for money

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